Agricultural News

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue administered the oath of office to Bill Northey on Tuesday evening at the Annual Iowa Ag Leaders Dinner. Until Tuesday, Northey had served as Iowa’s Secretary of Agriculture, a position he had held for more than eleven years. Northey will serve as the Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Service (FFAS) at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)- at least that is the official title he was sworn in for.

However, Northey's job will actually be working under a new job description- which USDA is working with Congress on to formalize in the near future. Northey will be overseeing what USDA is calling the Farm Production and Conservation mission area- with the FPAC encompassing the Farm Service Agency, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the Risk Management Agency

“After months of waiting, I’m thrilled to finally have Bill on board at USDA,” Secretary Perdue said. “The patience he displayed throughout this process is an indicator of what kind of steady leader he will be on our team, and we are eager for him to get to work. Bill comes to us at an important time, as farm incomes are down and expected to fall further. Additionally, with work on the 2018 Farm Bill already underway, Bill will play an integral role in the advice we offer to Congress.”

In addition to his long service as Iowa’s Secretary of Agriculture, Northey has also held other positions of leadership in agricultural fields. He is a former president of the National Corn Growers Association and served in state and local roles for the Iowa Farm Bureau. A fourth-generation corn and soybean farmer, he and his wife Cindy have three daughters and five grandchildren.